Bill to Bring Order, Quotas
To Alaska's Crab Fisheries

Alaska's crab fishery -- historically a wild free-for-all that has claimed dozens of lives -- is about to be tamed, under a far-reaching management scheme that could be implemented in other places.

Under legislation expected to be passed by Congress early next year, the state's Bering Sea fishery, where most of the crabbing takes place, will be carved up into quotas for how many crabs can be caught by various regions. The quotas will then be divvied up to the fishermen who ply the waters and can be bought or traded at...